Mary H. D. Swift

Swift

Mary H. D. Swift

DC Arts Scene Doyenne and Champion Horsewoman, dies at 95



She was not your ordinary mother. Mary Howard Davidson Swift—photographer, curator, journalist and equestrian extraordinaire—built an exceptional life with a little help from us all. She was a remarkable woman, with a hard-fought sense of self and purpose, multifaceted, beloved, unique. A truthteller and straight shooter, she could be alienating for some, treasured by others. She passed away peacefully on April 24, 2022 surrounded by her family.



A Georgetown native, she travelled the world with her husband Carleton Byron Swift—Tokyo, Baghdad, London—until they divorced in '68. After 18 years of marriage and a single mother of four children, Mary recreated herself from scratch, studying, reporting on and sharing her appreciation of the arts, with a Masters in both Drama (Catholic University '68) and in Art History (GWU '78). She had the rare ability to spot nascent talent, recognizing and fostering the careers of emerging DC artists of all types through The Washington Review of the Arts. She was the Review's photographer-in-residence, contributing journalist and Managing Editor, and her early role and intellectual contributions were a vital and valued part of shaping the Review.



Patron, collector, promoter, she served Washington, DC's art and literary worlds in her varied roles for The Washington Review, as art critic for The Georgetowner, and on the Women's Committee at the Corcoran. Additionally, she curated or co-curated more than 50 exhibits, authored a portfolio of articles, reviews, and critiques of all things art, and served on numerous Boards—The Washington Project for the Arts, Washington Gallery of Art, Charles Weidman Dance Company, as well as serving as VP for Programs at the Vassar Club and Chairman of the Washington Friends of the Vassar Art Gallery, her alma mater. Mary and The Washington Review's influence on the DC art and literary scene was significant. She had deep roots in the art community, and loved working with and had a great capacity to recognize the most promising of the DC avant-garde artists of her time. In '05, the Flashpoint Gallery had a one person show of her portraits: Mary Swift's Washington. Her substantial catalogue of photographs is at the Archives of American Art, accessible to all. Her significant collection of DC artists' work was gifted to the Katzen Art Center at American University.



She also had a lifelong passion for horses, from her childhood pony in Hawaii, to Race Track Harry, on whom she won the North American Hunter Championship in 1987. She rode with her beloved Piedmont hunt until 85. She is survived by her children: Byron, Isabel, Bill, their spouses: Valeria, Steven and Claire; her grandchildren: Gigi, Carl, William and Robert; three great grandchildren: Mary, Sally and Frances; as well as her sister Julia Cheshire. She is predeceased by her daughter Lila; her father Major General Howard Davidson; her mother Mary Patterson Davidson; her brother Stuart Davidson; and her sister Frances Bortz. She attended Punahou, Potomac School, Madeira School and Vassar College.



A Service will be held at The Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia June 25, 2022 and a Memorial will be held in Washington, DC, September 17, 2022. Details forthcoming. A Memorial website is in development at Everloved.com https://everloved.com/life-of/mary-swift/ (Should you wish to honor her with a contribution, she supported Planned Parenthood)